2010 Hyundai Sonata
The Verdict
Worst problem area
Body, Seats & Latches
Body, Seats & Latches leads by volume: 171 of 345 complaints (50%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Airbags & Restraints include more deaths (1) than those mentioning any other identified area.
Complaints filed fell from 460 in 2009 to 345 in 2010.
Data last changed . Sources: NHTSA complaints and recalls, EPA fuel economy data. Methodology
Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History
| Category | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | vs. 2010 Large Cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fuel cost ($) | 2,500–2,850 | 2,500–2,850 | 2,500–2,850 | 1,750–2,400 | 1,750–2,400 | |
| Combined MPG | 22–25 | 22–25 | 22–25 | 26–36 | 26–36 | |
| City / Highway MPG | 19–21 / 28–31 | 19–22 / 29–32 | 19–22 / 29–32 | 22–34 / 32–39 | 22–34 / 33–39 | |
| CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi) | 355–404 | 355–404 | 355–404 | 247–342 | 247–342 | |
| Complaints filed | 425 | 460 | 345 | 3,472 | 1,710 | |
| Recalls issued | 5 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 11 | |
| Crash-involved complaints | 19 | 21 | 19 | 122 | 53 | |
| Fire-involved complaints | 11 | 11 | 3 | 117 | 100 | |
| Injuries reported | 14 | 26 | 19 | 90 | 40 | |
| Deaths reported | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | |
| Configurations compared | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Not compared: this database has no vehicle sales or registration figures, so a raw count mostly reflects how many were sold, not how safe the vehicle is.
Common questions
How many recalls does the 2010 Hyundai Sonata have?
2 NHTSA recall campaigns as of Sep 16, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.
What is the most common complaint about the 2010 Hyundai Sonata?
Body, Seats & Latches: 171 of 345 NHTSA complaints (50%) mention it.
What gas mileage does the 2010 Hyundai Sonata get?
EPA rates it 22–25 MPG combined across 3 configurations.
How much does it cost to fuel a 2010 Hyundai Sonata?
EPA estimates $2,500–$2,850 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.
Similar Vehicles
EPA-Rated Configurations (3)
| Configuration | Transmission | Cylinders | Displacement | Drivetrain | Fuel Type | Vehicle Class | City | Highway | Combined | Annual Fuel Cost | CO₂ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration 1 | Automatic 5-spd | 4 | 2.4L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Large Cars | 22 mpg (high) | 32 mpg (high) | 25 mpg (high) | $2,500 (low) | 355 g/mi (low) |
| Configuration 2 | Manual 5-spd | 4 | 2.4L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Large Cars | 21 mpg | 32 mpg (high) | 25 mpg (high) | $2,500 (low) | 355 g/mi (low) |
| Configuration 3 | Automatic 5-spd | 6 | 3.3L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Large Cars | 19 mpg (low) | 29 mpg (low) | 22 mpg (low) | $2,850 (high) | 404 g/mi (high) |
Complaints by Category
| Category | Complaints | Crash-Involved | Fire-Involved | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Transmission & Drivetrain | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Brakes | 42 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Airbags & Restraints | 21 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Driver Assistance & Speed Control | 11 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Body, Seats & Latches | 171 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility & Lighting | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 38 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.
Recalls (2)
SUSPENSION:REAR · Campaign 13V354000 · Aug 15, 2013
Defect: Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Sonata vehicles manufactured March 1, 2005, through January 21, 2010; and model year 2006-2011 Azera vehicles manufactured September 27, 2005, through November 22, 2010 originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. Road salt and water can enter portions of the rear crossmember, leading to corrosion of the crossmember steel. This may lead to detachment of one of the rear control arms.
Consequence: Control arm separation may suddenly change the rear wheel alignment, affecting the handling of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will repair or replace the crossmember assembly. The recall began on October 8, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai Customer Care Center at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall number is 113.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH · Campaign 13V113000 · Apr 1, 2013
Defect: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Accent, model year 2007-2011 Azera, Sonata and Sante Fe,2006-2011 Tucson, 2009-2011 Elantra Touring, 2007-2010 Elantra, 2008-2011 Veracruz, 2009-2011 Genesis, 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, 2007-2008 Entourage, and 2006-2008 Tiburon vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Hyundai recalled 1,059,824 model year 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson, model year 2007-2010 Elantra, model year 2007-2011 Santa Fe, model year 2008-2009 Veracruz, model year 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe, and model year 2011 Sonata vehicles. In September 2013, Hyundai informed the agency that it was adding more vehicles to this campaign, representing an additional 652,512 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,712,336. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake transmission shift interlock feature, preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Consequence: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of Park without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 22, 2013. Owners may contact Hyundai at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 110.